The CEO of the Gozo Tourism Association (GTA), Joe Muscat, has told The Malta Independent that Santa Marija week this year, as per the norm, is set to be the peak of the tourism sector for Gozo. Muscat told this newsroom that the sister island is set to reach or come close to its saturation point.

"It will be difficult to find accommodation in Gozo - it is practically all taken up," he said.

Muscat remarked that it is very difficult to estimate how many people will visit the sister island throughout the entire week. However, the registered bed stock of around 10,000 for accommodations and hotels serves as a useful indicator of tourism rates.

The GTA CEO said that the week of the feast of the Assumption on 15 August consistently marks the peak of Gozo's tourism season during the summer. He mentioned that during this week, the "domestic market" of Maltese residents floods the island, contributing to the region's highest levels of foreign visitor numbers.

"Always assume that bed stock will be all taken," Muscat said when asked about booking indications during this time.

He detailed that aside from the previously mentioned registered bed stock of approximately 10,000 beds, many people visit Gozo and stay in non-rented accommodation. Muscat said that 40% of the domestic market stays in non-rented property; this refers to Maltese who own property in Gozo, and thus, are not considered as part of the registered bed stock count. Meanwhile, 27% of foreign tourists seek this option - according to Muscat, some of these cases are carried out through Gozitan private property being owned by foreigners who accommodate their family and friends.

It is expected that this year's Santa Marija week will reach the same tourism levels experienced in recent years. Muscat noted that the number of people Gozo will be hosting throughout this week "should be the same" as 2023. The CEO said that after checking for available accommodation on a large online booking platform seven days before the public feast, he had found a few beds still available.

Muscat described that the insolvency of Europe's third-largest tour operator, FTI Touristik, in early June this year, affected tourism in Gozo for this summer because of a number of hotels that had bookings scheduled through the German company prior to its bankruptcy.

Muscat said that according to NSO statistics, tabled since the beginning of 2024, tourism rates indicated to be on the rise up until May.

The first five months of this calendar year saw the number of inbound tourist increase by 21%, yet 53% of tourism operators in Gozo tolled in less revenue for the first half of 2024 than they did in the first six months of 2023, according to a survey carried out by the GTA in the second half of July. Out of the sampled tourism operators, 56% declared that their rates and prices remained unchanged in comparison to the previous year.

Survey respondents were comprised of a broad spread of business representatives for Gozo's tourism sector. These persons derived from restaurants, all accommodation sectors, diving centres, tourist attractions, transport, tour operators, DMCs, travel agencies, property rentals and tourism consultancy firms.

Survey participants were relatively split on the demographics of their clientele - 57% of these tourism operators mentioned foreign visitors to be their primary group of customers while the remaining, 43%, pinned Maltese customers to be their main clients.

Increased operational costs and recent power cuts in Gozo

Muscat said that around 40% of responding restaurateurs and accommodation providers operating in Gozo reportedly increased their prices after the prices of raw materials surged. 93% of respondents from the aforementioned survey had reported an increase in their operational costs and from this same sample, 47% stated that they had not altered their pricing strategies.

85% of respondents also shared the opinion that "the general touristic offer in Gozo is not meeting guests' expectations due to various factors including excessive construction, lack of tranquillity, poor infrastructure, noise disturbances and cleanliness issues".

However, this summer, a unique challenge has affected the majority of businesses in Gozo - power cuts.

Muscat told this newsroom that according to this survey, which the GTA carried out a few weeks ago, a staggering 88% of respondents reportedly experienced power outages. From these electrical issues, 44% observed damages in their equipment and stock, resulting in loss of business and nearly a third of all survey participants (30%) said they requested compensation.